UPDATE 3/16/09 – Urban Core International has gone dark. The website was shut down. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact us.

Aaron Newman, founder and managing partner of Urban Core International, sent me the details of his latest project, Urban Rio. Specifically, Urban Rio is a product of Urban Core's prefab and container division called Envision Prefab. It's easy on the eyes, to say the least, and just so happens to be the first sustainable, affordable, container project in Panama.

There’s an interesting article in the November issue of Inc. Magazine about Full Spectrum NY and their low-income, green development, The Kalahari. Located at 116th Street in Harlem, Kalahari has an interesting design — it’s actually inspired by designs of the Ndebele tribes of southern Africa. The building is currently under construction and is aiming for LEED Silver certification; some of the green technology used in this building include wind and solar power, low-flow water fixtures, energy-efficient appliances, vegetated green roofing, and bamboo floors. About half of the 249 units are set aside for families earning in the $56,000 per year range. The article goes on to explain how successful Full Spectrum NY has been developing in the low-income, green housing niche. Very cool.

Hot on the heels of a growing bundle of green retailers comes news of Kohl’s future plans for new construction. Starting in 2008, newly constructed retail stores will be built to LEED certification. Currently, Kohl’s has plans for about 80 new stores and the changes will include adding more insulation, using recycled or reusable building materials, ensuring that materials are locally supplied, and controlling lights, heat, and cooling from central headquarters to prevent excess energy consumption. Twenty-two stores in California will use solar power to supply roughly 40% of their energy needs, and three stores in Wisconsin will use solar to power about 20% of their energy needs.

Matt Allert took second place in the Cascadia Region GBC‘s Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition this year with his idea, the Dwelling Dock [pdf]. The Dwelling Dock is premised on the idea that sustainability should begin with the most basic building block of our communities: the dwelling. It’s an attempt to fully integrate the infrastructure of the housing unit with the environment. Although purely in concept stage, the Dwelling Dock would be prefabricated, and would include all the accoutrements we’ve come to expect in green homes: pervious paving, recycled materials, living roof, water collection, and photovoltaic panels.

Allert’s goals for the Dwelling Dock project include some of the following: (1) collect rainwater for re-use, (2) produce energy on-site, (3) minimize site disturbance and preserve existing site resources, (4) use local materials, and (5) integrate sustainable design with recycled, low-VOC materials. And I’ve got to admit, I really like the design elements. Butterfly living roof. 3-level living. A healthy mixture of privacy and transparency. Would you live in one?

A few days ago, Foster + Partners released design details of their newest mixed-use project in Astana, Kazakhstan — Abu Dhabi Plaza. This clustered matrix of multi-level buildings will include retail, leisure, hotel, office, and residential uses. David Nelson, Senior Executive and Head of Design at Foster + Partners said, "We are extremely excited to be working on this important project for Astana that will provide a new urban destination – visually and functionally. The design has resulted from a rigorous analysis of the city’s extreme climate, which has generated the unusual cluster diagram and has determined a façade that is both distinctive and highly efficient." In this geography, the temperature can get as cold as -40 degrees Celsius, and Foster + Partners found that the compact situation of buildings helped to maximize thermal insulation during the harsh winter months. The development also includes a series of temperate, year-round gardens with a network of sheltered pedestrian routes throughout the site. Light shafts between the blocks will have laminated glass panels that shower colorful light, shadows, and patterns on the lower levels.

Today, Michelle Kaufmann Designs officially announced their newest home, the mkLoft. MkLoft is a townhouse loft home with 2 bedrooms, 1 loft, and 2 bathrooms, all wrapped up in a modern package. The home has double-height living space, comes solar-ready, and has all the wonderful, green materials and interior details that come standard in MKD homes: high-performance mechanical systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, fsc-certified cabinetry, etc.

One of the cool things about mkLoft is its scalability. Units can be 2-story or 3-story, live/work or residential, and the lower level can be parking, retail, or studio. You name it. You can have one or one hundred units, depending on your project needs. Developers can rely on the expertise of MKD for predictability in time and cost. mkLoft prices out at $130 – $140 psf, and you’re in the lower price range if the project calls for +40 units. mkLoft is the ultimate multifamily solution for developers wanting to go green.